Vladimir Tarasenko is looking for a change of scenery after requesting a trade from the St. Louis Blues, according to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic.
Tarasenko has two more seasons left on his eight-year, $60-million contract which carries a $7.5-million cap hit. The 29-year-old also has a full no-trade clause which he would have to waive to facilitate a deal.
Over the last few years, the Russian winger has struggled with a shoulder injury that has required three surgeries. Tarasenko was limited to just 10 games during the 2019-20 season and only played in 24 games in the 2020-21 season.
According to Rutherford, Tarasenko is upset with the team’s handling of his shoulder surgeries in 2018 and 2019 which were handled by team physicians leading to a lack of trust with the organization. The winger then went to a doctor not affiliated with the team at the Steadman Clinic in Edwards, Colo., for his third operation after ligament damage that wasn’t found in the first two surgeries was seen by the clinic.
Prior to suffering the injury, Tarasenko was instrumental in leading the Blues to their Stanley Cup title in 2019 scoring 11 goals and 17 points in 26 playoff games. He also had five consecutive seasons with 30 or more goals including a career-high of 40 goals in 2015-16.
The 29-year-old was selected by St. Louis with the 16th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft recording 218 goals and 442 points in 531 career games with the Blues.
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